Sixers Notes: Maxey, Embiid, George, Edgecombe
After they made a total of 60 combined appearances last season, availability has been an issue again this fall for Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, who have played in six and three games, respectively, and have yet to share the court.
However, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, Embiid’s and George’s health issues haven’t been as devastating for Philadelphia this fall as they were last season, due in large part to the team’s increasingly dynamic backcourt. The 76ers used the No. 3 overall pick in June’s draft to add VJ Edgecombe to a group headlined by breakout star Tyrese Maxey.
“These guys give them the ability to move on from the Embiid and George era,” one Western Conference executive told Bontemps.
“It just looks like there is more energy,” an Eastern Conference exec added. “They may not be good enough, but it’s not just waiting around for Paul and Joel [to get healthy] like it’s been in the past.”
According to Bontemps, head coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers made more of an effort entering this season not to be so dependent on Embiid offensively. Maxey has become the club’s offensive engine and is thriving in that role, with career-high averages of 32.2 points and 7.5 assists per game through 17 contests. His shooting percentages (.470/.409/.878) are also above his career rates.
“He’s a legitimate first- or second-team All-NBA player now,” one East scout told ESPN. “Even with Embiid’s injury issues, they could still be in the conversation for a top-six spot in the East, because Maxey is really that good.”
Here’s more from Bontemps on the Sixers:
- While Embiid may no longer be the focal point of the Sixers’ present and future, he’s still an important part of the roster, Bontemps writes. One executive suggested the club will have to figure out how to maximize Embiid “in a strategic way” when he’s available this season, while a scout pointed out that Philadelphia still needs him on the other end of the court. “They’re not good enough defensively [without him],” that scout said. “That’s why I have a hard time believing in them.”
- Sources who spoke to Bontemps believe Embiid will get more comfortable as the season goes in with his surgically repaired left knee, but his current nine-game absence is related to soreness in his right knee, underscoring the fact that the Sixers can’t necessarily rely on having him on the floor with any consistency. And even when he is available, the increased pace of games could be a concern for the big man. “You look at where the league is heading, with the pace and the speed the game is being played,” a scout told Bontemps. “He was having trouble keeping up with it when he was healthy, let alone now.”
- There’s a belief among Bontemps’ sources that a healthy version of George would be an ideal fit alongside the team’s guards, even if he’s not as dynamic or explosive as he was earlier in his career. “He can be a floor-spacing [power forward],” an Eastern Conference scout said of George. “Better to not have him handling the ball as much anymore. You can run some pick-and-rolls with him as the screener to take advantage of his shooting and ability to attack mismatches. Will he accept that role? I’ll be curious to see.”
- Donovan Mitchell and peak Victor Oladipo were among the players that came up multiple times when scouts pointed to comparables for Edgecombe, according to Bontemps. “I didn’t think VJ would be as good as he’s been,” one scout admitted. “Yes, there’s imperfections, but if they keep pushing him — because he can do lots of different things — he will be a special player.” There’s also a sense that Edgecombe won’t have any problem coexisting with Maxey long-term. “Those guys are pretty good together,” a Western Conference scout told Bontemps. “They work well together because they can both do a bit of everything.”
Injury Notes: Giannis, AD, Bulls, Sixers
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Friday’s game in New York, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo is dealing with a strained left adductor, which is part of the groin.
The two-time MVP has missed the past four games — and most of a fifth — after suffering the injury on November 17 at Cleveland. Milwaukee lost all five games without its best player and has dropped six straight overall.
Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 years old on Dec. 6, was also considered questionable for Wednesday’s game in Miami before being ruled out. Head coach Doc Rivers said the nine-time All-NBA forward hasn’t experienced a setback, according to Nehm (Twitter link).
“No,” Rivers said. “I was not in favor (of him playing Wednesday). I was very happy we decided what we decided. I was very uncomfortable with it. He really wanted to push and that’s who Giannis is. I was very happy with our medical team today. They decided at the end of the day, let’s wait. … We just thought it was the right thing to do. We gotta protect him sometimes.”
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- As expected, Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis is questionable for Friday’s matchup at the Lakers, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). The star big man has missed the past 14 games with a left calf strain. Davis, who practiced on Wednesday, said it was “surprising” and “definitely tough” to see former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison get fired, but downplayed the trade chatter surrounding him in the wake of Harrison’s dismissal. “This is basketball,” Davis said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “This is what comes with it. I think everybody in their career has been involved in trade talks. Been traded. Or some type of move. That doesn’t affect me. I’ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do on the floor. Play basketball. Try to lead this team. I do have an open line of communication with the front office. I’m just ready to get back on the floor.”
- The Bulls have a lengthy injury report ahead of Friday’s contest in Charlotte, notes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter (left pelvic contusion), Dalen Terry (left calf strain), Nikola Vucevic (right patellofemoral syndrome), Coby White (right calf strain injury management), and Patrick Williams (left wrist sprain) are all questionable, while Isaac Okoro is doubtful to suit up because of left lumbar radiculopathy.
- In addition to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford, who are sidelined with knee and adductor injuries, respectively, Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of his ninth consecutive game on Friday against Brooklyn due to right knee injury management (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) is also out for the third straight game, while forward Paul George is questionable with a right ankle sprain. George was inactive for Tuesday’s 41-point loss to Orlando, though he did practice on Wednesday.
Sixers’ Watford Out At Least Two Weeks With Adductor Strain
An MRI has confirmed that Sixers forward Trendon Watford, who exited Tuesday’s loss to Orlando early, has a left adductor strain, the team announced today (Twitter link via Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice).
Watford will be reevaluated in two weeks, which means he’ll miss at least Philadelphia’s next six games, starting with Friday’s contest in Brooklyn.
It will be the second injury absence this fall for Watford, who was also inactive for the first three games of the season due to a hamstring issue. Since making his 76ers debut, the 25-year-old has appeared in 14 consecutive games, making four starts and averaging 20.3 minutes per night as a regular part of the club’s rotation.
Watford, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract over the summer, has been a productive role player for Philadelphia in the early going, averaging 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game and posting an excellent .534/.389/.800 shooting line. Philadelphia has a +1.9 net rating during his 286 minutes of action and a -3.8 mark in the 540 minutes he hasn’t played.
Forwards Jabari Walker and Paul George (if he’s healthy) are the top candidates to take the minutes that Watford won’t play during the next couple weeks. George was out for Tuesday’s game due to a right ankle sprain, but practiced on Wednesday, per Aaronson (Twitter link), as did rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who has missed the past two games due to left calf tightness.
Center Joel Embiid, out since November 8 due to right knee soreness, didn’t practice on Wednesday but did some individual strength and conditioning work, Aaronson adds.
Injury Notes: Warriors, Davis, Barrett, Sixers, Collins, Pacers
The Warriors will be without three important frontcourt players on Monday against Utah. In addition to center Al Horford, who will miss at least a week due to right sciatic nerve irritation, and forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has been unavailable since November 12 due to bilateral knee tendonitis, Draymond Green has been ruled out for Monday’s game due to a right foot sprain, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Green was listed as questionable before being downgraded to out, which may be a sign that his injury isn’t considered significant. Of course, Kuminga’s knee soreness also wasn’t intially viewed as a cause for much concern, but he’ll miss a sixth straight contest on Monday and his return isn’t necessarily imminent.
The Warriors had hoped he’d be able to practice on Sunday, but that didn’t happen, according to Slater, who adds that imaging on Kuminga’s knees came back clean, showing no structural damage.
“He said he’s not moving that well, so I can’t tell you what the outlook is,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. “He needs to feel better and be able to move better before we can put him out there.”
We have several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will miss a 14th consecutive game due to a left calf strain on Monday, but head coach Jason Kidd said the plan is for Davis to take part in practice on Wednesday, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Assuming Davis practices without a setback, his return shouldn’t be far off, Afseth notes.
- The imaging results on RJ Barrett‘s sprained right knee “look promising,” according to Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). Barrett is out for Monday’s game vs. Cleveland but seems to have avoided a serious injury and is being considered day-to-day.
- Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday vs. Orlando, but center Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) has been upgraded to questionable, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
- The Bulls are hopeful that Zach Collins (left wrist surgery) will be able to practice with contact this week, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says Collins has a chance to return during the team’s post-Thanksgiving road trip that begins on Friday and runs through next Monday.
- Pacers guards Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain) could be back in action within the next couple weeks, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). Carlisle added that rookie Kam Jones has recovered from his back injury, but is still in the ramp-up process and could play for the Noblesville Boom in the G League before making his NBA debut.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, George, McCain
While Sixers center Joel Embiid is said to be making progress, he continues to deal with soreness in his right knee. The seven-time All-Star missed his seventh straight game on Sunday vs. Miami, but head coach Nick Nurse is optimistic Embiid will return sooner rather than later.
“I think we’re trying to take the best care we can of him and get him out there,” Nurse said (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “He wants to play. He’s being very diligent. … He’s doing a lot to try to get back on the floor. And I think it will be soon.
“I know this has been a long [process]. I think it will be soon, but just keep doing the right things, keep listening to what the doctors tell us.”
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- The 76ers were also without VJ Edgecombe on Sunday, as the rookie guard experienced left calf tightness toward the end of Thursday’s victory at Milwaukee. Nurse said Edgecombe underwent imaging, which came back clean, and the No. 3 overall pick was held out Sunday for precautionary reasons, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
- After opening Sunday’s game as a starter, forward Paul George was brought off the bench for the second half. According to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), Nurse explained the decision afterward, stating that he was trying to keep George matched up with Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., one of the early frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year. George, a four-time All-Defensive member, was making his third appearance of the season following offseason knee surgery.
- The shorthanded Sixers lost Sunday’s contest, but one bright spot was second-year guard Jared McCain, observes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). McCain, who struggled to find his rhythm to open the season after missing extended time with knee and thumb injuries, played 26 minutes and scored 15 points — both marks were season highs.
Sixers Notes: George, Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe, Drummond
Sixers forward Paul George was on a minutes restriction in his season debut on Monday vs. his former team (the Clippers) and said after the game that he “felt good,” per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. George, having recovered from offseason surgery on his left knee, returned to the starting lineup and had nine points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
“It felt great to finally play basketball again,” said George, who last suited up on March 4. “Been like eight months since I played, so it was a long journey. A lot of ups and downs, a lot of hiccups … but felt good to finally get out there, and I felt good. Rusty, but I felt good.”
As a result of George’s minutes restriction, he ended up sitting out most of the fourth quarter as the Sixers eked out a two-point victory in crunch time. According to Bontemps, the 35-year-old said after the game that a potential increase on that minutes limit would be based on his work with the team’s medical staff and how his body responds to playing again.
We have more on the 76ers:
- Star center Joel Embiid missed a fourth straight game on Monday due to right knee soreness, but head coach Nick Nurse is optimistic that his absence won’t last much longer. “He’s OK, just not quite pain-free,” Nurse said, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). “Still day to day. I think it’s getting better. I don’t think he’s far away from playing.”
- With George and Embiid not fully available to open the season, the Sixers have been leaning heavily on guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to generate offense. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, that has resulted in very heavy workloads for both Maxey (a league-leading 40.4 minutes per game) and Edgecombe (37.3 MPG). Nurse said on Monday that he has spoken to both players about the issue and that both insisted they’re comfortable with their high minutes totals. “They’re both on board,” the Sixers’ head coach said. “I said, ‘Whenever these (injured players) come back to help, we’re going to welcome them with open arms. But until that point, let’s stay focused on doing what needs to be done.”
- With Embiid out and Adem Bona sidelined due to an ankle sprain, the Sixers are learning more heavily on Andre Drummond, who has started the team’s past four games and played at least 33 minutes in each of those contests. As Pompey writes, Drummond held his own against talented Clippers center Ivica Zubac on Monday, scoring 14 points and grabbing a season-high 18 rebounds. Interestingly, the two-time All-Star is also incorporating an outside shot into his game — he’s 7-of-17 on three-pointers this season after never having made more than five in a season prior to 2025/26.
- In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pompey considers whether Embiid or George have any trade value and acknowledges that neither player would be a hot commodity on the trade market at the moment. However, Pompey believes that George, in particular, has a chance to rebuild his value if he can stay on the court for an extended stretch this season, since his health issues have been acute injuries that shouldn’t lead to chronic conditions.
Sixers Notes: Maxey, Oubre, Barlow, Edgecombe
Tyrese Maxey felt the Sixers lacked mental toughness against a depleted Pistons team on Friday. Philadelphia led by 12 in the third quarter but fell apart down the stretch in a 114-105 loss.
“You’ve got to be physical back,” Maxey told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You got to be extremely physical. You got to be mentally tougher than them. I don’t think we were mentally tough. Early on we did a good job, but once they were on a couple of runs you got to stay with it. Got to stay mentally tough.”
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow looked at the outcome as a missed opportunity.
“They outworked us,” Barlow said. “They made shots, credit to them. But we got to win that game.”
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Kelly Oubre Jr. didn’t play in the second half due to a left knee injury. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday, Pompey reports. Oubre came into the contest averaging 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 11 games.
- Barlow returned after missing nine games due to a right elbow laceration. He racked up 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. “It was fun,” Barlow said. “Obviously, disappointed with the outcome. We’ve got to be better as a group. But it’s great playing. I love playing.”
- VJ Edgecombe scored 18 points in the loss. The third overall pick in the draft is averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists along with 1.3 steals in his first season. “He’s the first player I’ve had that, at this age, has this much poise,” president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told James Herbert of CBS Sports. “He sort of plays like a guy who’s been in the league for a bit, which is pretty remarkable, given it’s very, very hard to be good early in the NBA.”
And-Ones: Brown, Adams, Luxury Tax, Top Rookies
Free agent guard/forward Troy Brown Jr. has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League, writes Olgun Uluc of ESPN.
The 15th pick in the 2018 draft, Brown spent six years in the NBA, suiting up for the Wizards, Bulls, Lakers, Timberwolves and Pistons. The 26-year-old last played in the league during the 2023/24 campaign.
Brown spent part of last season in Turkey, then briefly played in Puerto Rico in the spring.
“Troy has great size and length,” 36ers GM Matt Weston said in a press release. “He’s a legitimate shooter who is very good on the defensive side of the ball with great hands.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Brisbane Bullets of the NBL have released former NBA point guard Jaylen Adams, Uluc reports for ESPN. Adams went undrafted in 2018 out of St. Bonaventure and spent most of his rookie year on a two-way deal with Atlanta, ultimately making 41 total NBA appearances through the 2020/21 campaign. He has spent most of the past four seasons in the NBL, including winning MVP in ’21/22 and leading the Sydney Kings to a title that season. However, the 29-year-old has looked disengaged of late, according to Uluc, and his statistics are down considerably from last season. The team cited behavioral and cultural concerns as reasons why it decided to cut Adams loose, sources tell Uluc.
- Eric Pincus of SportsBusinessClassroom.com has updated his NBA luxury tax tracker for the ’25/26 season, with 16 clubs currently below the tax line and 14 teams in tax territory. The Nets and Jazz have the most room under the tax, while the Cavaliers have — by far — the most expensive roster in the league, with a projected tax bill of nearly $164MM.
- ESPN’s Zach Kram ranks the top 10 NBA rookies, writing that his list is based on how each young player has performed through the first three weeks of the season and not a projection or a prediction on who might win Rookie of the Year. Three Hornets (Sion James at No. 8, Ryan Kalkbrenner at No. 5, and Kon Knueppel at No. 3) are on Kram’s list, with Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe ranked second and Grizzlies wing Cedric Coward coming in at No. 1.
Injury Notes: Ball, Embiid, Edgecombe, Kuminga, Mavs, Kings
Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable for Friday’s game in Milwaukee, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The 24-year-old point guard, who has missed the past five games with a right ankle impingement, recently practiced in the G League, with head coach Charles Lee expressing optimism about his progress.
Ball, a former Rookie of the Year who made his lone All-Star appearance in his second season, has averaged 23.3 points, 9.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals on .430/.333/.815 shooting in six games this fall (33.3 minutes per contest).
Second-year guard KJ Simpson (left AC joint sprain) is also probable to suit up against the Bucks, while rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner will miss a game for the first time in his career due to personal reasons.
Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- While there are no long-term concerns about the injury, Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss his second straight game on Friday because of right knee soreness, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter). VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, is also on the injury report, having been listed as questionable to suit up against Detroit due to back spasms.
- Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is dealing with bilateral tendinitis in his knee and is questionable for Friday’s matchup at San Antonio, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). Kuminga was demoted to the second unit on Wednesday vs. the Spurs after starting the first 12 games of the season. He played a season-low 12 minutes last night, leaving the game early due to the knee issue.
- Three key members of the Mavericks‘ frontcourt are questionable to play Friday against the Clippers, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Anthony Davis (left calf strain) and Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) have both missed several games with their respective injuries, while forward P.J. Washington is a recent addition to the injury report — he’s dealing with a left shoulder strain.
- The Kings have listed Domantas Sabonis (left rib contusion) and Malik Monk (sore left ankle) as questionable for Friday’s matchup in Minnesota, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. High-scoring guard Zach LaVine is not on the injury report after missing Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta with a bruised thigh, Anderson adds. Head coach Doug Christie ripped the Kings for their “shameful” compete level after Wednesday’s lopsided defeat, the team’s fourth straight loss.
Sixers Notes: Watford, Oubre, Embiid, Edgecombe
Trendon Watford posted a triple-double while making his first start for the Sixers on Saturday and earned a comparison to peak Ben Simmons from teammate Joel Embiid, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Watford finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, all season highs, in a victory over Toronto.
“He’s kind of what you call a hooper,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters. “He really, really knows how to play, and he can do a lot of different things that we talked about.”
According to Pompey, Nurse was hoping to acquire Watford from Brooklyn last season, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. He pushed to sign Watford in free agency, and it’s looking like a great investment. The 25-year-old forward is averaging 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists through six games and has become a valuable member of the rotation. He’s making $2.5MM this season, and the team holds a $2.8MM option for 2026/27.
A hamstring injury prevented Watford from participating in training camp or the preseason and forced him to miss the first three games of the regular season. He tells Tony Jones of The Athletic that he’s glad that experience is behind him.
“I hope it’s something that I don’t have to deal with going forward,” Watford said. “Hamstrings are difficult because you can’t do anything when you have that injury. All you can do is kind of sit around and get out of shape.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Nurse will be facing a difficult lineup decision with Paul George potentially returning soon, Pompey adds in the same piece. There’s been an assumption that George would replace Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup, but Pompey states that Oubre has been playing too well to demote. He’s been an important contributor on both ends of the court, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in nine games. “I think Kelly has been really outstanding,” Nurse said. “You saw him. he was fighting (Brandon) Ingram most of the night. He’s done that consistently, where he’s got one of the better scorers in the league or the other team and keeps working and working. He’s been really good and done a good job of playing physical.”
- Embiid scored a season-high 29 points on Saturday, but he didn’t force any shots and made an effort to get his teammates involved in the offense, Pompey observes in a separate story. “It’s just about moving the ball,” he said. “Passing to the open guy. Like I said, I’m not too worried about the offense. I think we know what we have to do, especially sharing the ball.”
- The Sixers’ good fortune in keeping their first-round pick at the lottery and their decision to select VJ Edgecombe when there was no consensus on the third-best draft prospect have changed the trajectory of the franchise for the future, Yossi Gozlan states in his Third Apron column (subscription required).